So you have a cartridge but would like to know what it is. Well that can be done by following the following
steps. Most Commonwealth manufactures identified their product with a headstamp. These stamps Identifies who made
it, what year, model of mark, the type of powder and occasionally if it was special purpose ammo the use.

STEP 1 Identifing the Maker. Looking at the headstamp compare it to the chart below which identifies
most of the ammuniton manufacturers that produces the .303 cartiridge. It usually is a two letter code sometimes seperated
by a broad arrow,

STEP 2 Identifing the Year of Production. The year is either shown in two or four digits.
For example it would say 1942 or 42.

STEP 3 Identifing the Mark or Model. These were roman numerals that numbered from one to eight.
I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII Most WWII cartriges were Mk VII.(See the .303 Bullet Page for More Detail).

STEP 4 Identifing the propellant. "C" following the mark indicates that CORDITE was used (See
the .303 Bullet Page for More Detail). "Z" following the mark indicated that Niro Cellulose powder was used but this was droped
since most later cartridges used this as the propellant.

STEP 5 Identifing the Purpose. If there are markings on the headstamp left over these may indicate
a special purpose round. There is a chart at the bottom of this page that covers all of the commonly encountered special
purpose rounds.

W-W Winchester Western Division of Olin Industires. Conn UNITED STATES

WRA Winchester Repeating Arms Co. New Haven Conn. UNITED STATES

ZV Zbrojovka Brno, Brno CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Colour Coding of .303 Ammunition

Colour coding appears in several forms on small arms ammunition. The most common system with the .303 cartridge used coloured
bullet tips or colour around the annulus of the primer cap. Other methods include colouring of part or the whole of the cartridge
case. Originally markings arose from the need to make a quick visual check of the arrangements in a machine gun belt and they
are now universally applied. As a general rule the absence of colour coding indicated a standard ball cartridge.

United Kingdom & Commonwealth Countries before 1955

including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa

Bullet Type
Colour of Tip
Colour of Annulus

Armour Piercing
Green
Green

Ball None
Purple

Incendiary
Blue
Blue

Observing
Black
Black

Proof None
Yellow

Tracer Short Range White Red

Tracer Dark Ignition
Grey Red

Tracer Long Range
Red
Red

Belgium

Bullet Type
Colour of Tip
Colour of Annulus

Incendiary Lt Blue None

Tracer
Red None

Finland

Bullet Type
Colour of Tip
Colour of Annulus

Armour Piercing Lt Blue
None

Italy

Bullet Type Colour
of Tip
Colour of Annulus

Armour Piercing
None Green

Armour Piercing Incendiary(Phosphorus) Blue
None

Armour Peircing Incendiary(Thermite) Green
None

Observation
Black
None

Tracer
Red
None

Letter codes other than Manufacture’s Codes on .303 Headstamp

AA
Pomeroy explosive Incendiary Mk 2 Bullet (circa 1917)

B
Incendiary Bullet

C
Cordite Propellant charge(pre 1912)

D
Drill Round

E
Smoke Bomb Projector

F
Semi Armour Piercing

FG
Semi Armout Piercing Tracer

G
Tracer bullet

H
Grenade Discharger

J
Illuminating

K
Brock explosaive incendiary bullet (circa 1918)

L
Blank

O Observation
Bullet

P
Practice Round

PG
Practice Tracer

Q
Proof Round

R
Explosive Bullet

SPG
Tracer made before 1927

U
Dummy Round

W Armour
piercing bullet

WG
Armour Piercing Tracer

Z
Nitrocellulose Propellant Charge

Sources for the above information comes from a variety of sources including the following